Angela Merkel has been lenient to say the least when it comes to her immigration policy. A little too lenient it seems after the atrocities and terrors that we have seen in the past few days. But she stands defiant and confident that Germany must come to the aid of vulnerable refugees. It does seem though that her comments today may tip German voters over the edge.

If profits in a company slump, change is necessary. If crime goes up, change is necessary. And if recession becomes apparent, change is necessary. So why can’t Merkel see that amid the chaos and shock triggered over the past few days, change is necessary. In fact, her words are a direct insult to the people affected by what has happened in Germany recently.

Of course, refugees need to be protected from the bloodshed of war and conflict which they departed from. But it is no good to simple beckon in as many as possible without carrying out the appropriate checks. After all, your own people that you govern need protecting as well. And I am not just talking about some minor adjustments to security, I am talking about a massive overhaul of the process in which refugees are able to enter German society.

So what exactly am I proposing? Well if Germany has the resources and stability to cater for the incoming refugees, then they should welcome them. But in a sustainable, reformed manner. Checks need to be made to ensure that refugees will be able to integrate into German society and abide by the rules. This is for the benefit of all those women who have had to deal with sexual assaults as of late. But it is also for the benefit of the refugees themselves as integration will almost certainly give them a better life than if they lived in a segregated way.

Security checks also need to be carried out and any signs of extremism need to be dealt with thoroughly, not simply brushed under the carpet. All refugees need to be regularly checked to see how well they are integrating into society and whether the process is being carried out sustainably. These checks should also apply to rejected asylum seekers who are granted temporary stay. This was the category in which the suicide bomber in Ansbach fell under. So it is imperative that these people do not simply fall under the radar.

Merkel is right. As the leader of a developed country, she has a responsibility to come to the aid of refugees. The bit she is forgetting though is that she also has a responsibility to protect her own people and therefore, her policy on refugees needs to change.